it is finally here

I honestly don't know if I have been ready for this week to get here or truly dreading it. It is the week of the Fifth Third River Bank Run. For those who don't live in GR that is one of the largest 25K races in the U.S. Yes, I signed up to run 15.5 miles this coming Saturday. For some reason I have some crazy things on my bucket list and this is one of them. I am not a runner and do not know why I continue to pretend to be. At one point I had gotten to the point where I actually enjoyed a 3 or 4 mile run. I even enjoyed the 8 mile run I did during my training. At some point the wheels just came off, though . . . let me clarify . . . my right knee decided to revolt against the rest of my body. For the last three weeks I have only run once a week and this pain will not go away. It's there when I get up in the morning, when I try to go up the 3 flights of stairs at work, when I bend down to pick up things at work, when I try to demonstrate a lunge for my clients, and especially when I run. I thought it would go away, but now I'm worried. I think my worrying about it might even be causing my headaches. I want to get through this run without damaging my knee further and so I can say I did it. I know it would suck even if I was 100% healthy, but it could really turn into something really miserable.

Throughout the whole training I have felt God trying to teach me about the race of life. It is so not a sprint like I try to make it. And sometimes there are stumbling blocks along the way. But it's not our strength that can overcome them or give us the discipline to last . . . God's strength is the only thing strong enough. I am turning to him to heal my knee and help me perservere on Saturday. In Christ alone . . .